Breakfast Empanadas with Smoky Cheese Dip

Breakfast Empanadas with Smoky Cheese Dip recipe for your Mom this Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is coming up soon (how did that happen already??) so how about celebrating Mom with some fun bite-size brunch recipes?! And better yet, how about winning a great prize package FOR Mom?? Land O’ Lakes has graciously offered to give one of my readers a great prize package valued at more than $100 so read on for more details and info on how to enter. To celebrate Mom I also came up with these great and easy Breakfast Empanadas with Smoky Cheese Dip featuring Land O’ Lakes eggs! Fun for everyone, because if everyone else is happy, MOM is happy!

Land O’ Lakes has some great brunch type recipes on their website! I decided to come up with another recipe to add to the bunch, Breakfast Empanadas with Smoky Cheese Dip. These empanadas are stuffed with scrambled Land O’ Lakes eggs and sausage, and served with a warm cheese dip. My kids loved dipping their empanadas and since they were happy, I was happy!!!

Not a lot of ingredients in this recipe and it’s quick and easy to make. The Land O’ Lakes eggs should be easy to find at your local grocery store. Land O’ Lakes has four varieties of all-natural eggs: Farm-Fresh All-Natural Eggs, Cage-Free All-Natural Eggs, All-Natural Eggs with 160 mg ALA Omega 3, and Organic All-Natural Eggs. All varieties are produced by hens fed a premium vegetarian, whole-grain diet.

For the dough for the empanadas, you can make your own homemade empanada dough, or you could probably use store-bought or homemade pie crust, bread dough, biscuit dough, or even puff pastry dough. To make it easy, I picked up an 8 count tube of flaky biscuit dough. The “flaky” biscuits can easily be split into 2 each so you actually get 16 empanadas out of one package. I used a chicken and apple sausage but you could use any kind of sausage, or even precooked ham or bacon.

For the cheese dip I used Land O’ Lakes American cheese, milk, and some spices including ancho chile powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can definitely add other things to your dip such as chopped jalapenos or chilies, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, salsa, etc. Lots of possibilities!

To start, I crumbled and cooked my sausage in a large skillet until cooked through.

While the sausage was cooking, I scrambled my eggs in a small bowl. The first thing I always notice about Land O’ Lakes eggs is that the yolks are a lot brighter than other eggs!

When the sausage is done, remove the sausage from the pan and drain most of the fat. You can scramble your eggs right in the same pan (or use a separate pan if you want to cook at the same time as your sausage to speed things up a bit).

Separate your biscuits into 2 pieces each and spread slightly with your fingers to even out the dough and make it easier to stuff them. Place on large baking sheets.

Spoon the sausage and eggs onto one side of each piece of dough. Fold the dough over the filling and using a fork or your fingers, seal the edges.

I brushed the top of my empanadas with an easy egg wash so that they would be shiny and golden brown when cooked. Just scramble another Land O’ Lakes egg in a small bowl and mix in a little milk (or water) to thin, then using a brush, very lightly brush the egg wash on top.

I baked my empanadas on silpats but you could use parchment paper or follow the directions for the type of dough you use. While the empanadas are baking and just about done, prepare your cheese dip. It only takes a few minutes to make the cheese dip and was so quick to make that I FORGOT to take pictures! Darn it! Just chop up your cheese, put in a small microwave-safe bowl, add your milk, and spices. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval. It should only take a few minutes before the cheese has melted and the dip is smooth. Then mix in anything else you’d like such as jalapenos, tomatoes, etc. The dip will start to thicken up as it cools, so you can put it back in the microwave, or keep it in a fondue pot or small crockpot to stay warm. Detailed recipe is at the bottom of this post.

SNAPPY GOURMET – LAND O’ LAKES GIVEAWAY:

DISCLOSURE:
All prizes were supplied by Land O’ Lakes. Snappy Gourmet did not receive any personal compensation. All compensation that was offered is being given away as prizes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hope all the moms out there have a great Mother’s Day and hope you enjoy my Breakfast Empanadas and Smoky Cheese Dip!

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Break 8 eggs into small bowl, and whisk until well mixed. Cook and scramble eggs in large skillet over low heat until cooked through.

Meanwhile, divide each biscuit in half horizontally. Spoon sausage and egg onto one side of biscuit. Fold biscuit over filling and using a fork or fingers, press to seal.

If desired, whisk together additional egg and a little milk (or water), and brush over top of empanadas.

Bake empanadas for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until lightly browned.

When empanadas are just about done, place cheese and 1 cup of milk in small microwave-safe bowl. Add ancho chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth. Add any desired add-ins if desired. Serve alongside empanadas.

Notes

SNAPPY TIPS: The cheese dip will thicken as it cools. You can reheat in the microwave or keep the dip in a fondue pot or small crockpot. You may have to adjust seasonings to personal taste. This recipe can easily be cut in half or multiplied.
SNAPPY SUBSTITUTIONS: Instead of sausage you can substitute ham, bacon, or any ground meat or precooked vegetables.
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I usually spend Mother’s Day with my mom, possibly my sister and her family. I don’t really have a favorite brunch dish (the mimosas are usually really good though, LOL). The last brunch that we did on Mother’s Day was 12 years ago at a Polish American place.

we will be relaxing togther at home, watching movies, taking the dog for a walk, pretty much the same thing we do most Sundays. Don’t have a budget for Mother’s Day gifts, etc. My son will be showing me how to use the iPod Shuffle I won a couple of weeks ago – fun!